Loose-leaf book



March 18, 19:50. c". D. TRUSSELL LOOSE LEAF BOOK Filed 0m. 12, 1927 INVENTOR By Aitornys, 5mm PM a 771 40 Fig. 5.

Patented Mar. 18, 1930 eaten? eseicf CLARENCE D. TRUSSELL, OF POUGHKEEISIE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T TRUSSELL MAN UFAOTURING- COMPANY, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK LOOSE-LEAF 1300K Application filed October 12, 1927. Serial No. 225,762.

This invention relates to covers for looseleaf binders such as those of the ring book type, and particularly to those having the back and sides hinged together by hinge members having alternated eyes connected by hinge pins or pintles.

The invention relates in part to means for inserting a metal back plate in a cover back of leather or leather-like material. The insertion of a single back plate in pockets formed by splitting the leather occasions some difficulty, to avoid which my present invention divides the back plate into two plates or sections which are inserted separately into the two opposite pockets and are afterward connected together so as to serve every purpose of a single plate.

Another feature of the invention applies to hinge plates which are inserted within the pockets formed in the back or sides (or both) of the book cover, whereby the hinge eyes are effectually concealed.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a sectional perspective view of a portion of the back and adjacent portions of the sides of a loose-leaf book cover, one of the sides being shown disconnected or unhinged.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the inner side of the back partly broken away in section.

Fig. 3 is a similar elevation of the adjacent portion of one of the cover sides. i

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the inner back plate or spring plate of the usual looseleaf ring mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of a modified form of spring plate.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of two segmental stiifening plates or hinge plates adapted for use with the inner plate shown in In the drawings, the loose-leaf binding mechanism, which may be of the'customary ring type or of any other known character, is not shown. The drawing shows the book back B, to the inner side of which is attached a metal plate A which may be the usual back plate or binding plate to which the metal base of the ring binder mechanism may be attached, or this plate may be itself the spring back plate of such loose-leaf ring mechanism.

The sides of the book cover, lettered C O, are hinged to the back by means of a hinge construction having alternating hinge eyes connected by hinge pins or pintles D.

In the construction shown in Figs. .1 and 2, the cover back B has an inner metal plate E embedded within the leather. According to the present construction this plate is divided (preferably down the middle) into two plates or plate sections E and E. These are inserted into pockets formed by first grooving the inner sine of the leather, and afterwardjcutting or dividing the leather from the middle groove in opposite directions towardthe outer edges of the back. This mode of forming pockets in a leather back for receiving a metal plate is set forth in detail in my application No. 100,566, filed April 8, 1926, as applied to a cover having a back and sides of one integral piece of leather reduced in thickness to form flexible hinge portions at the junction of the sides and back. In a later application, No.

120,053, filed July 2,1926, a similar construction is shown, except that the cover back and sides are non-integral, being of separate pieces of leather, and are hinged together by metal hinges having alternating hinge eyes receiving asingle pin or-pintle on'each side. The leather of the back is here grooved and slitted or divided to form pockets within which to insert the metal plate-in the same manner as before, except that at the hinge edges the pockets are cut through to admit the metal hinge eyes which protrude beyond the edge of the leather. Similar metal plates forming hinge members are inserted in similar pockets formed in the cover sides, their eyes protruding beyond the edges of the leather alternating with the eyes of the pocket, so that the respective hinge members may be united by the introduction-of the hinge pintles. In the construction shown in said last-named application, the metal plate is inserted edgewise into one of the pockets and the other pocket has its flap out 'free and turned up to receive the other half of the hinge plate, and then turned down and cemented against the plate.

According to the present invention,by subdividing the plate to form two plates or plate sections it is unnecessary to form any flap to gain access to the pocket in the leather. .It is sufficient to insert each half or section purpose as a single or undivided plate.

The plate sections may be thus united in various ways. One suitable and very convenient way isto form them at their'adjoining edges with upturned ears are which, passing through suitable slits formed in the inner layer of'leather, enter slots?) 6 in the inner back plate'A, and are then turned or clinched down, as shown at a in Fig. 1.

d An additional fastening means is also provided by forming the inner plate or plates E E withend prongs or ears 0 which enter notches dd (Fig. 4) formedin each of the endsof't he inner plate A. These are shown turned in and clinched down upon the plate A at the bottom of Fig. 2, and at the top of that figure are shownupstandingas they penetrate the leather, to be bent do wn'when the plate A has been superposed.

By thus clinching down the ears a-a or c 0 (or preferably both) the plates E E are united to. each other through the intermediary ofthe plate A. This is the simplest and most readily applied construction.- The ears I and the slots or notches should fit so closely as to prevent any material lost motion, with the result that the two plates E E function asone. e i

' The hinge plates or leaves F F of the cover sides are flat plates introduced into pockets in the material of the sidesin similar manner to my said application No. 120,053. The groove f first formed in the leather and from j which the leather is slitted both ways to form the pocket, may be closed-and concealed by cementing in a strip g of lea'ther. In the position shown at the right in Fig. 1, the slitting of the leather to form the pocket extends to both sides of this groove, which necessitates that the leather flap h shall be cut free at the ends by slitsz' (Fig. 3) to admit the insertion of the metal plate. Or the construction shown at the left in Fig. 1 may be adopted, the groove f being made beyond the plate,

so that the slitting to form the pocket is entirely to oneside of this groove and the plate may be inserted throughthe groove and without any slitting of the leather to form a i turned up flap.

Figs. 5 and Billustrate a modification of. e the construction shown in Figs. land 2.

Here the divided back plate or hinge plate E E has its ears (1 a separated somewhat from the meeting edges of'the plates, so that they pass through separated and independent slots (2' (Fig. 5). The effect is much the .same, except that due to the flexure ofthe' tially rigid relation.

l-Ieretofore the hinge eyes y spring plate A, the abutting edges of the plates E E move slightly with a flexing movement insteadof being held in substanformed on the hinge members constituting respectively the back'plate and the side plates, have projected beyond the leather, thus constituting I metal hinges. visible at the exterior of the book. Suchhinges require to be discolored or otherwise surface treated toavoid too great dissimilarity to the appearance of the exterior leather finish. To avoid this and wholly conceal the hinges I now introduce the hinge eyes within the leather. This requires making the leather wider, so'as to extend slightly beyond the hinge eyes in each instance. The leather is cut away between the hinge eyes, but not at the hinge eyes.- The result is that when the hinge plates are in-. serted, their eyes enter the uncut project ing edge portions of theleather. It is desirable to usesome cement tofasten these to the hinge eyes, and it is desirable to round 77 thelather to conform it to the hinge eyes. Theleather is rounded exteriorly to make a cylindrical finish, as shown in .Fig. 1. Thus the portions of leather lettered 7a in Fig. 1 form housings which encircle the hinge eyes and conceal them. These may berounded by bufiing off either before or after the insertion of the hinge plates; or'the leather may be wet and the rounding of the portions is be accomplished by pressing between dies.

As a modification, instead of taking a thick piece of leather and dividing it, leaving the portions in undivided, a thinner piece of leather may be folded around the. outside of the plates E E and around the hinge eyes and carried over on the inner or concave faces of the plates, and its edges brought together, or

nearly so, at or near the middle line of the inner side of the cover back. The method first described is to be preferred.

While leather is the preferable material j for the cover back and sides, yet it is to be understood that any leather like material or leather substitute which is capable of being split or otherwise treated in the manner described may be substitutedand is to be considered an equivalent of leather for the purposes of my present invention. 1

While the embodiments set forth are deemed preferable, yet it is'to be understood th at the construction may be'modified within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: I

. 1. In a cover for a loose-leaf book of the type having a back and sides hinged together, the cover back, separate hinge plates em-' bedded in the back, each formed with hinge eyes locatedrespectively atthe opposite edges of the back, and means for uniting such separate hinge plates so that they serve as a single plate. r

2. A cover for a loose-leaf book having a back and sides hinged together, the back and sides having metal plates forming hinge members pocketed within them, and the cover material surrounding and concealing the hinge e es.

3. A cover for a loose-leaf book comprising a back and sides of leather-like material, the back and sides having metal hinge plates pocketed within them, with their hinge eyes entering within the edge portions of the material, and the cover material out out between the hinge eyes of one member to admit the hinge eyes of the connected member, so that the hinge eyes may be brought into axial alignment, and hinge pins entered through the respective hinge eyes.

4. In a cover for a loose-leaf book of the type having a back and sides hinged together, the cover back and sides, hinge plates embedded in the material of the sides, separate hinge plates embedded in the back, each formed with hinge eyes located respectively at the opposite edges of the back, and means for uniting such separate hinge plates so that they serve as a single plate.

5. In a cover for a loose-leaf book of the type having a back and sides hinged together, a back of leather-like material having pockets for receiving hinge plates, separate hinge plates in the pockets with their hinge eyes located respectively at the opposite edges of the back, and means for uniting such separate hinge plates so that they serve as a single plate.

6. A cover according to claim 5, said hinge plates meeting adjacent the middle of the back.

7. In a cover for a loose-leaf book of the type having a back and sides hinged together, the cover back having a pocket within it, separate hinge plates in said pocket whereby they are embedded in the back, each formed with hinge eyes located respectively at the opposite edges of the back, an inner back plate applied against the inner side of the back, and means uniting said hinge plates to said inner back plate.

8. A cover according to claim 7, said uniting means comprising turned-up ears with recesses, said ears being turned and clinched down to unite the respective plates.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

CLARENCE D. TRUSSELL. 

